Primary quantitative survey LT2 Flashcards
Self report studies
Confidential surveys requring respondents to admit to offences they have committed. Form of sefl completion questionnaire
Advantages of Self report surveys
- Questions accuracy of OCS
- uses statistics to test sociological explanations
- Insight into motivations
Why do Self report surveys questions the accuracy of OCS
SRS shows that 50-90% of people admitted to crime that could have resulted in court
Help to reveal extent of dark figure crime
How do Self report surety’s give an insight into motivations
allows researchers to ask questions about motivations for attitudes
Disadvantages of Self report surveys
- participants may lie
- Not representative
- Criticised for trivial deviant acts
Why do participants not tell the truth ?
20% of participants lied in SRS
due to feeling shame or toughness
Why are Self report surveys not representative
Done on juveniles cause little information on domestic violence, child abuse and fraud
Why are self report studies criticised for trivial deviant acts
Campbell survey included acts such as dropping litter. Overestimating law breaking
Victim Surveys
involves asking about their experiences of crime, their fears of crime and their views on the criminal justice system
Advantages of Victim surveys
- Questions accuracy of OCS
- Provides social patterns and victimisation
- Highly reliable
Why do Victim surveys questions accuracy of OCS
High levels of underreporting
BCS revealed that only 42% of crimes were reported by victims and only 75% of them recorded by police
How do Victim surveys provide vital information
Social pattens and victimisation
BCS revealed that inner city residents, ethnic minorities and low income households are more likely to be victims of crime
Why are victim surveys High reliability
BCS carried out annually sample size 40,000 and has a response rate of 75%
Disadvantages of Victim Surveys
- inaccurate
- Problem generalising
- Difficult to make comparisons with OCS
How are victim surveys invalid and inaccurate
Victims may forget relevant incidents and may not trust researchers
